Virtual Welding offers a true-to-life welding experience for vocational training

Offering a completely safe and sustainable framework for the vocational training of prospective welders, Fronius’ Virtual Welding offers a true-to-life welding experience with 3D glasses and excellent graphics. Thus, a high-quality welding training is obtained, while saving in costs.

No noise, no heat, no use of materials: Virtual Welding from Fronius offers a completely safe and sustainable framework for the training of prospective welders. Similar to the flight simulator, a true-to-life welding experience is provided with 3D glasses and excellent graphics. As a result; At the same time, both cost savings are achieved and a high quality welding training is obtained.

Holistic education concept consisting of theory and practice

With Virtual Resource, Fronius has created a thought-out vocational training concept. Among other information; Theoretical information about MMA welding TIG and MIG/MAG processes is presented and additionally, knowledge tests are conducted. A score list allows participants to compete in a fun way.

Practical welding studies included in Fronius’ Virtual Welding training plan were organized according to the training of the International Institute of Welding. Thus, a training in compliance with the international standards applicable in the vocational training of welders is offered.

Ghost: The Instructor is always by your side

Ghost, who is primarily a virtual teacher in practical operations, works with the student. Ghost displays the correct cutting speed, the correct distance and angle between the torch and the workpiece, step by step. Student receives direct feedback from Ghost. The difficulty level of the missions increases and then welds without Ghost in simulation mode that offers a realistic look. Virtual Welding records welding processes so they can be reviewed later and analyzed with a live instructor.

Thanks to this combination of directed practical work and theoretical knowledge, the student can perform many steps of his education on his own with the welding simulator. Thus, he learns the basics and basic skills before working with a real resource system. In this way, educational institutions can improve the quality of education and at the same time reduce costs.

Field research: Fohnsdorf Education Center

The Austrian Fohnsdorf Training Center, abbreviated as ‘SZF’, is one of the most modern and innovative institutions in the field of vocational training in Austria. SZF has been using Virtual Welding in metal technology since 2010. Currently, 30 percent of practical welding training is done with the simulator, so the simulator is a constant part of the training.

Within the scope of a field study, it was investigated what kind of effects the training caused and how much efficiency was achieved:

– 13 vocational training participants,

– A 2-week training consisting of 30% Virtual Source and 70% real source,

– Corner welding (135 P FW FM1 S PB ml) and tube fillet welding (135 T FW FM1 S PB sl), both real and virtual.

In order to determine the cost efficiency of vocational training with Virtual Welding, metal, gas, welding wire and energy consumption of a total of 1,577 actual applied welding seams were evaluated. These were compared with the data of 1,733 virtual weld seams.

Better quality of education: 23 percent more time to practice

Thanks to Virtual Welding, SZF was able to increase actual welding time by 23 percent. In this way, three times more seams could be made virtually than in the welding booth in the same time. The reason of this; In virtual welding, there is no need for time-consuming test sheet preparation, sheet cooling and cleaning of the weld seam. A virtual resource requires a click. This leaves more time to learn and practice the necessary skills.

Stating that not only the working time increases with the use of Virtual Resource, Hannes Krempl, an instructor in welding technology/transportation at SZF, said, “The use of Virtual Resource is important for us, especially as it makes a significant contribution to increasing the quality of education. With Ghost, each student is provided with a unique support and direct virtual feedback. It is not possible for a live trainer to provide all this.”

Cost savings: 230 Euro less material costs

The resource simulator not only increases the quality of education, but also increases efficiency in terms of cost. Education becomes significantly more economical thanks to the savings in consumables such as gas, wire and sheet metal.

“In total, with the use of Virtual Welding, we save about 230 euros in material costs per participant, despite the increased arc burning time,” says Krempl. According to these results, thanks to the virtual training used in welding training, an extremely high efficiency is achieved despite the low material usage.